Help. Somebody has turned the thermostat down! Here in Annapolis, one day we were struggling to sleep in the sweltering heat, the next we were furiously digging out and airing ‘slightly mouldy’ duvets from the bilges. Where did I put that bag of winter clothes? It is like somebody has flicked a switch.
There was no slow transition into autumn here. Breakfasts these days consist of hot porridge (or ‘gruel’ as my children meanly call it) and despite the reduction in temperature, Arthur refuses to wear trousers on the basis that he wore shorts right the way through winter in the UK winter, including a snowstorm. From the galley comes a menu of soups and casseroles and early dinners as the evenings draw in. It must be time to sail south to Antigua to carry on from where we left off last season!
School has resumed, which was a shock to everybody’s system. I was utterly convinced that I had already got next year’s maths and English books on board. I would have bet money on it.
However after a frustrating morning of much searching and swearing, it looks like I was imagining things.
On the maintenance front it has been pretty quiet. We have not sailed very far in the last few weeks as we wanted to take things very easy following my back surgery in August. This has given me time to focus on rehab which is going really well so far. We have visited various places and towns along the mid to northern part of the bay. The pandemic has meant that many places of interest have been shut, but we have tried to make the most of it.
Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av Practical Boat Owner.
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Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av Practical Boat Owner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar
Spain's maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, has reported that a 15m (49ft) yacht sank in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar following interaction with a pod of orca.
No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash
A kill cord and lifejacket are useless unless worn-that's the warning from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), following its investigation into a powerboat crash that killed a 32-year-old woman and five-year-old girl on 2 October 2022.
Multihull sail work
Brush up on multihull sailing skills before heading off on charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to spinnaker handling, tacking and gybing
Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them
Jake Kavanagh talks to Sea Start marine engineer Nick Eales about how to avoid the five major causes of an engine breakdown at sea
Sail the Atlantic with strangers
Would you sail across the Atlantic with someone you've just met? Ali Wood meets the cruising crews who've done just that
IZIBoat: simple sailing
Rupert Holmes sails an innovative catamaran design intended to widen participation in sailing among those with little time to get on the water in more conventional craft
30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT
From tall ships to small dinghies, you needn't own a boat to sail. Ali Wood looks at the options, and how skippers can also find crew
Boats for restoring under £20,000
Duncan Kent picks the best sub-35ft sail and power boats to look for when aiming to undertake a restoration on a budget
Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500
For low cost traditionally-styled GRP trailer-sailers, consider the Foreland and the Otter available at bargain basement prices
Playing with coloured sails
Maintaining an hourglass-shaped balloon and ratcheting up the log numbers
